Germany 2010 - FIFA.com

22 Technical and tactical analysis
Technical and
tactical analysis
Author: Vera Pauw
General
The technical and tactical development of the women’s
game has taken off at an incredible pace. More and more
countries have a national development strategy for women’s
football. The teams who proceeded to the quarter-fi nals
were those who had made important choices in their
preparation for the tournament, ranging from setting up
and professionalising the national league to opting for
an intense training programme for the team. In addition,
some great coaching was observed during the matches.
The games showed growth at the technical and tactical
levels. Both England and France might have suffered from
fi nishing the UEFA Women’s U-19 Championship only fi ve
weeks before the start of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup
Germany 2010, using many players in both tournaments.
While this kind of preparation might have worked in the
past, it is no longer possible, which is an indication of
improving standards worldwide.
Playing style
This tournament showed that teams are developing their
own playing styles to a higher level, which relates to the
football culture of the country. The football philosophy of
each country is now more recognisable, highlighting the
overall development of the game. In the quarter-fi nals, a
range of playing styles was on show with different team
formations. Whereas in the past teams could outrun their
opponents simply by being fi tter, it is no longer the case
that a certain playing style guarantees success. The teams
that advanced in the tournament were well prepared and
displayed very good coaching during the games. The play is
becoming increasingly accomplished; the successful teams
had better control of the game thanks to greater knowledge
and better execution of the team and individual tasks. As a